Send files locally over Wi-Fi, even when there's no Internet connection.

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Google is working on a wireless local file sharing feature for Android along the same lines as Apple's Airdrop. While it isn't out yet, XDA's Mishaal Rahman got an early version of it up and running on a few devices, as it's currently dormant in versions of Google Play Services that are out in the wild.

It works about how you would expect a Google version of Airdrop to work. The first user taps Android's Share menu and picks the new "Nearby Sharing" option. Other users in earshot of the feature get a notification pop-up saying that a file is waiting to be received, and then both the sender and receiver confirm they want to start the transfer. The setup happens over Bluetooth, and then the heavy lifting of the data transfer happens over Wi-Fi.

There's some confusion as to what this feature will actually be called. XDA's version of Google Play Services calls the feature "Nearby Sharing," but other builds call it "Fast Share." Whatever it's called, being tied to Play Services means it should work on nearly all versions of Android, since Play Services is not dependent on the OS version and is distributed by Google through the Play Store.

Previously, Android had a local sharing feature called "Android Beam," but it was removed in Android 10. While the new Nearby Sharing feature uses Bluetooth to start a transfer over Wi-Fi, Android Beam used NFC to start a transfer over Bluetooth, which was inconvenient for a number of reasons. First, NFC required you to touch two phones back to back, and then you had to tap both displays, quickly, with a window of only a few seconds. The required phone positioning and time-sensitive window for tapping the display made this pretty awkward to pull off, especially for a single person trying to transfer something from one device to another. The other problem was that it used Bluetooth, which is very slow. It was fine for URLs, but pictures or any other user-generated content took forever.

This new Nearby Sharing feature sounds a lot more convenient. Rather than have to physically touch the two devices, they can be up to a foot away from each other. So unlike Android Beam, it's easy to transfer a file between two devices sitting on a table. Since Nearby Sharing uses Wi-Fi direct, it's a lot faster than Bluetooth. Rahman moved a 3.5GB .img file across the service and says it took just over two minutes. Nearby Sharing's UI of pop-up windows and notifications seems a lot more relaxed and reliable than Android Beam, which needed approval while the devices were physically touching. It was often difficult to keep two devices touching in the air and to tap on both screens without losing the NFC connection or (gasp) dropping a phone.

Apple's Airdrop has been around for eight years now, and Google has long resisted adding a similar feature in Android, presumably because it would undercut the company's cloud services. Need to share a photo? Put it on Google Photos or (previously) Google+. Need to share a video? YouTube. Need to share anything else? Send it over to Google Drive. Google's push into the developing world has made this Internet-first philosophy untenable, though, since not all countries have the fast, reliable, ubiquitous infrastructure that cloud services demand. Google's first major product to feature local sharing was Android Go, a low-end version of Android for the cheapest smartphones. The included "Files Go" file manager (which is now freely available in the Play Store) featured local Wi-Fi sharing as a major feature and works nearly identically to this Nearby Sharing feature. Now, through Play Services, local sharing is going to be provided as a base feature for every app.

There has been strong demand for a feature like this from Android manufacturers. In China, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have collaborated to make their own local wireless sharing feature, and they'll need it, since Google Play Services and the rest of the Google Play ecosystem does not get distributed in China. Samsung is also working on a similar feature called "Quick Share" which is expected to debut in the Galaxy S20. As usual, though, Google's strength is that it controls the entire Android ecosystem, and a wide, cross-brand rollout through Google Play Services would be a lot more useful than something like a Galaxy S20-to-Galaxy S20 sharing feature. It would also be great if Nearby Sharing gets built into desktop and laptop computers through Chrome and Chrome OS.

Google's Nearby Sharing has been in development for a while now, first popping up in June 2019. Google has two big release windows coming soon: the release of the Android R 11 Betas that should start in March, or in May at Google I/O. Maybe we'll see a release then?

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Ron Amadeo
Ron is the Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he specializes in Android OS and Google products. He is always on the hunt for a new gadget and loves to rip things apart to see how they work. Emailron@arstechnica.com//Twitter@RonAmadeo

While I don't own an iPhone, the experiences of my friends with them shows that most of them disable AirDrop off the bat, since any place with a crowd will invariably have some random bellend pushing AirDrop constantly. Other than copying Apple, I don't really see the appeal here, especially when practically every media app has a share button that can push out stuff through a myriad of channels anyway.

Most people I know limit AirDrop to their Contacts with the handy toggle setting, thereby eliminating this problem.

Late to the game Google. This should have been hammered out... Oh I'd say 3 versions of Android ago. Hopefully this isn't as half assed as Android Beam, but hopefully you can keep a requirement for something like NFC verification because goddamn I don't want to have the Airdrop problem that was described in an earlier post.

Apple's Airdrop has been around for eight years now, and Google has long resisted adding a similar feature in Android, presumably because it would undercut the company's cloud services. Need a share a photo? Put it on Google Photos or (previously) Google+. Need to share a video? YouTube. Need to share anything else? Send it over to Google Drive.

I don't think Google's service will take away from their current cloud offering. People who want cloud services already use it. Nearby Sharing would benefit people that don't want to use the cloud as well as other people who just want to send a file quickly without having to upload and send out links, especially when no internet service is available.

While I don't own an iPhone, the experiences of my friends with them shows that most of them disable AirDrop off the bat, since any place with a crowd will invariably have some random bellend pushing AirDrop constantly. Other than copying Apple, I don't really see the appeal here, especially when practically every media app has a share button that can push out stuff through a myriad of channels anyway.

AirDrop by default only advertises your presence to people on your contacts list. It's not possible for random strangers to try sending you files unless you manually set your availability to public in AirDrop settings.

So Google witheld a really convenient feature to push their own less convenient method for more money. Sounds about right ....

I know it'll never happen, but I wish Google would let me pay for their product instead of me being it. Or even better, there was a third, credible alternative.

I would pay £50 -100 a year, Google can't make that out of me with their terrible 'targeted' ads.

Edit for the obligatory typo and to add that my feelings towards Google have roughly tracked my feelings towards miss goop over the years. I once really liked them both, now I'm pretty much at the point where I wish neither existed.

While I don't own an iPhone, the experiences of my friends with them shows that most of them disable AirDrop off the bat, since any place with a crowd will invariably have some random bellend pushing AirDrop constantly. Other than copying Apple, I don't really see the appeal here, especially when practically every media app has a share button that can push out stuff through a myriad of channels anyway.

AirDrop by default only advertises your presence to people on your contacts list. It's not possible for random strangers to try sending you files unless you manually set your availability to public in AirDrop settings.

I think the previous poster is making a reference to the Syracuse University racist Airdrop incident. It doesn't say who sent the message or how everyone received it but I doubt it was anyone on someone's contact list

It was a bit of a meme for a while to turn on AirDrop for all and send memes to people. That kinda ended a bit when people just started sending inappropriate things after the initial wave of more wholesome anon transfers.

While I'm very excited about this feature, I've found the majority the time snapdrop.net fulfills my needs. It works very similar to AirDrop and allows direct transfer of files between any two devices on the same wifi just via it's website.

Rereading this it sounds like an ad but I'm not the dev and it's open source...

If Google has copied the feature correctly, it will work in situations where there is no wifi router available.

The devices will use Bluetooth to coordinate and set up an ad hoc wifi network that doesn't require a wifi router.

While I'm very excited about this feature, I've found the majority the time snapdrop.net fulfills my needs. It works very similar to AirDrop and allows direct transfer of files between any two devices on the same wifi just via it's website.

Rereading this it sounds like an ad but I'm not the dev and it's open source...

Well, you should remember you're actually uploading something personal to a website, and you have no idea what is done with this file.

Airdrop is quite simple, fast and usefull. Android getting something similar is great news for their users. It would be awesome if it actually worked with Airdrop.

cool now every lg and sony model will rename it and make it incompatible with anything else, google doesnt control android as people often say, all they can do is spray and pray, its not even close to how microsoft can rein in on windows

cool now every lg and sony model will rename it and make it incompatible with anything else, google doesnt control android as people often say, all they can do is spray and pray, its not even close to how microsoft can rein in on windows

LG has had this feature for YEARS. It's android finally catching up I guess.

We need some kind of third party group that makes up android standards like this, creates an app that provides the functionality, and lobbies the various manufacturers to bundle it. This way, you only have to install it if you buy a Pixel.

For example, I'd like to see RCS ignored in favor of just putting Telegram on every phone. Or Signal. Or something that isn't a complete joke of a protocol.

This should have been ready before they dropped Android Beam. My husband and I used it a couple of times a week to quickly share articles or Google map info. For now we've had to use the "still-not-quite-there" sharing menu. The Android Beam issues we ran into were:1) figuring out where to tap our phones together, cases making it more difficult and 2) determining which apps supported Android beam which ones would uselessly take you to the App store for the running application.

We'd occasionally send photos over Android Beam, but the speed of file sharing was rarely an issue of us. I hope Google will take some time to address app compatibility in addition to ease of use and speed.

Apple's Airdrop has been around for eight years now, and Google has long resisted adding a similar feature in Android, presumably because it would undercut the company's cloud services. Need a share a photo? Put it on Google Photos or (previously) Google+. Need to share a video? YouTube. Need to share anything else? Send it over to Google Drive.

I don't think Google's service will take away from their current cloud offering. People who want cloud services already use it. Nearby Sharing would benefit people that don't want to use the cloud as well as other people who just want to send a file quickly without having to upload and send out links, especially when no internet service is available.

Maybe for the developing world, where data caps is still a thing.

For me, the no internet access would probably be a larger a concern, than sharing my vacation photos over Wi-Fi.

Apple's Airdrop has been around for eight years now, and Google has long resisted adding a similar feature in Android, presumably because it would undercut the company's cloud services. Need a share a photo? Put it on Google Photos or (previously) Google+. Need to share a video? YouTube. Need to share anything else? Send it over to Google Drive.

I don't think Google's service will take away from their current cloud offering. People who want cloud services already use it. Nearby Sharing would benefit people that don't want to use the cloud as well as other people who just want to send a file quickly without having to upload and send out links, especially when no internet service is available.

Apple's Airdrop has been around for eight years now, and Google has long resisted adding a similar feature in Android, presumably because it would undercut the company's cloud services. Need a share a photo? Put it on Google Photos or (previously) Google+. Need to share a video? YouTube. Need to share anything else? Send it over to Google Drive.

I don't think Google's service will take away from their current cloud offering. People who want cloud services already use it. Nearby Sharing would benefit people that don't want to use the cloud as well as other people who just want to send a file quickly without having to upload and send out links, especially when no internet service is available.

Maybe for the developing world, where data caps is still a thing.

So... all of the USA

And Canada.

The irony is 'unlimited' data is actually quite common in 'less developed' parts of the world (or at least the limits are so crazy high nobody pays attention, like $10 getting you 50GB or something like that).

Apple's Airdrop has been around for eight years now, and Google has long resisted adding a similar feature in Android, presumably because it would undercut the company's cloud services. Need a share a photo? Put it on Google Photos or (previously) Google+. Need to share a video? YouTube. Need to share anything else? Send it over to Google Drive.

I don't think Google's service will take away from their current cloud offering. People who want cloud services already use it. Nearby Sharing would benefit people that don't want to use the cloud as well as other people who just want to send a file quickly without having to upload and send out links, especially when no internet service is available.

Non-Apple people appear not to appreciate the full scope of value of Apple's "local connection" services, of which AirDrop is just a part. These all seem to be based on some combination of Bluetooth to get thing started, then an on-the-fly WiFi network if appropriate for large amounts of data. (Which is, TECHNICALLY, still using Bluetooth! Look up the BT3 spec...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth ... h_3.0_+_HS )

Many of these services either wouldn't make sense via the cloud, or would be horribly crippled. They include- one step setting up a new iOS device: transfers all the config data (including the WiFi network and password) from your older iPhone or iPad.

- in a new environment (think hotel room) you only have to connect one device, say iPhone, to the WiFi; the connection credentials can then be transferred locally to other devices - obviously your aWatch, but also your iPad, and [if you have set things up to allow this] to say your wife's iPhone/iPad.

- transferring photos or suchlike between iPhones with no network connectivity. (Think friends traveling together sharing photos in a restaurant or whatever, with no cell phone connectivity or wifi)

- using your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac

- copy/pasting and similar "Continuity" operations between Apple devices

- "Continuity Camera" (using your iPhone as a camera to scan something or take a photo, on behalf of your Mac -- ie in Mac email you can quickly switch to your camera to take a scan of a signature page, which will appear in the email)

One would hope that Google is building as rich technological underpinnings as Apple, to allow all these varied different sort of transfer usage models. Maybe that's the eventual goal, and the Airdrop clone is just the first step?

I think this stuff is harder than it looks. It's remains unclear to me just how abstracted Apple's version is. Where Apple clearly should be headed is that all these services are built on a single set of communication primitives, provided as API by the OS, and available to third parties. But I don't think we are there yet; different services still appear to each be rolling their own libraries, and developers don't appear to be able to use anything but the very highest levels of the services. The cynic would say "this is Apple not wanting to share, what's new?"; but I think that's likely the stupid argument of someone who hates Apple but doesn't know them well. My guess is it's just not yet obvious the ideal sort of API's you want; or the failure modes you need to guard against (attacking other devices, tracking, denial of service, draining battery, ...)

So Google witheld a really convenient feature to push their own less convenient method for more money. Sounds about right ....

I know it'll never happen, but I wish Google would let me pay for their product instead of me being it. Or even better, there was a third, credible alternative.

I would pay £50 -100 a year, Google can't make that out of me with their terrible 'targeted' ads.

Edit for the obligatory typo and to add that my feelings towards Google have roughly tracked my feelings towards miss goop over the years. I once really liked them both, now I'm pretty much at the point where I wish neither existed.

The worst part is, app gap aside, Windows Phone was the best mobile OS for a little while. I'm still bitter over the loss.

While I don't own an iPhone, the experiences of my friends with them shows that most of them disable AirDrop off the bat, since any place with a crowd will invariably have some random bellend pushing AirDrop constantly. Other than copying Apple, I don't really see the appeal here, especially when practically every media app has a share button that can push out stuff through a myriad of channels anyway.

Most people I know limit AirDrop to their Contacts with the handy toggle setting, thereby eliminating this problem.

I've seen this claim ("strangers could randomly try to AirDrop me dickpic's ") multiple times. I've never had it happen to me or anyone I know. And we all leave AirDrop from Anyone open all the time because it's convenient. I've no doubt it's a THEORETICAL problem, just like it's a theoretical problem that, when I'm at a steakhouse the customer next to me could pick up his steak knife and attack me with it. I'm less sure that it's an actual problem.